NatureWorks boosts Ingeo product portfolio

Nature Works and Sulzer’s division Sulzer Chemtech announced that Sulzer has shipped proprietary production equipment to NatureWorks’ Blair, Neb., facility that will enable NatureWorks to increase production of Ingeo biopolymer and produce new, high-performance resins and lactides. The new production technology will increase capacity at the NatureWorks’ Blair, Neb., facility to 150,000 metric tonnes per annum. Commissioning of the installed new equipment is expected in the first quarter of 2013 with capacity increases and new products becoming available in the second quarter. NatureWorks and Sulzer have been working on this capital improvement project for more than a year. Each company has contributed to the project with NatureWorks bringing its operational experience and intellectual property in lactides processing, and Sulzer bringing its proprietary equipment and engineering design expertise in this field. NatureWorks owns patents to the new process, to which Sulzer has exclusive sublicensing rights worldwide. With the new technology, NatureWorks will be introducing new high-performance Ingeo resin grades in the injection moulding and fibres arenas.

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